A public safety department in a mid-sized city was experiencing an increased attrition rate among newly hired officers. Each wrong hire was estimated to cost the city $50,000. The following factors were thought to contribute to the increased attrition rate: immaturity, inflexibility, lack of interest in professional and personal development, and unrealistic expectations about the work and environment of a public safety officer.

How We Helped

To reduce the probability of hiring a public safety officer who didn't fit into
the department culture, we worked with the city to develop compatibility
assessments of public safety officer candidates. The goal of the compatibility
assessments was to better identify those individuals who possess the traits
necessary for a successful fit with the department.

The compatibility assessments consisted of administration of the California Psychological
Inventory followed by a semi-structured interview that covered
the following topics:

Following the completion of the assessment, the public safety officer selection committee was provided with a written compatibility analysis, a numerical rating of the candidate relative to other candidates, and concerns to be probed by background investigators. (Background investigators have reported that having a specific list of concerns to probe increases the ability of their investigations to detect significant problems.)